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President Donald Trump said it would be a 'terrible humanitarian mistake' for the women to return to Iran

FIRST ON THE DAILY SIGNAL— In the summer of 2019, the Wuhan Institute of Virology was set to become the headquarters for the Center for Biosafety Mega-Science, according to documents from the National Institutes of Health and National Institutes of Allergy and Infectious Diseases. In less than a year, biosafety seemed an unlikely description for the Wuhan lab that was widely suspected as the site where COVID-19 originated. As COVID began to emerge in the United States in January and February 2020, NIAID “got nervous” about the taxpayer dollars it sent to the Wuhan lab, according to one internal email. Other emails showed officials seemed frustrated and surprised about the lack of candor from the China grantees about the virus. The 145 pages of emails and other government documents show “a striking pattern of naiveté by NIH officials in their dealings with Chinese scientists,” said Alex Finnegan, director of digital capabilities at the Oversight Project, a watchdog group that obtained the documents through the Freedom of Information Act. “NIH officials viewed China’s scientific establishment not as it actually operates—under the authority and control of the Chinese Communist Party—but as they wished it to operate within the norms of open scientific collaboration,” Finnegan told The Daily Signal. “Again and again, reality intruded on this assumption, yet the records show little evidence that NIH changed its posture.” The FBI, CIA, and Department of Energy have concluded that the virus likely leaked from the Wuhan Institute of Virology. However, other agencies are undecided or still contend it had a natural origin. Early in 2020, NIH scientist Ping Chen asked Shi Zhengli, director of Wuhan Institute of Virology, for information on the virus, but Zhengli was not forthcoming. “For my curiosity, would you be able to share the viral agent info?” she asked. Zhengli replied, “Please be patient and wait for official announcement.” On Jan. 22, 2020, Chen told NIH colleagues, “The Chinese government is in charge of the information now.” A little more than a month later, Chen recounted in an email to colleagues a meeting she had with staffers from China’s embassy in Washington. The staffers would not share information. “They wanted information on drug, vaccine, and diagnostic development in the U.S. and the companies. But when we asked about reciprocal information, they immediately turned the subject around and asked us something else,” Chen wrote. “They are not sharing any with us.” NIH and NIAID staffers began to compile information on grants to China. NIH staffer Gayle Bernabe wrote to her colleagues on Feb. 3 that is a request “needed by today.” Bernabe added, “To respond to this request, perhaps we can divide the tasks at hand.” The same day, Chen emailed colleagues about grant money going to a Chinese researcher working under the Chinese Academy of Military Medical Science. Two active grants were going to Dr. Zhou Yusen, a researcher in the Beijing Institute of Microbiology and Epidemiology, described in the email as “an institute under the Academy of Military Medical Sciences (AMMS).”  The Academy of Military Medical Sciences is a unit within the People’s Liberation Army. The grantee, Dr. Zhou Yusen, died in May 2020 after reportedly falling from the roof of the Wuhan Virology Institute.  In March 2020, the World Health Organization declared COVID-19 to be a global pandemic, and President Donald Trump declared a national emergency. The lockdowns would follow.  Although staffers reviewed federal research grants to China, National Institutes of Allergy and Infectious Diseases Director Anthony Fauci expressed public doubt about a lab leak being the cause of the pandemic. In April 2020, Fauci told reporters during a White House briefing that evidence is “totally consistent with a jump of a species from an animal to a human.” He dismissed the theory of a potential lab leak, saying in May that evidence is “very strongly leaning toward this could not have been artificially or deliberately manipulated.” However, in 2021, he said of the natural origin theory, “I am not convinced about that, I think we should continue to investigate what went on in China.” After retiring from the government, Fauci became a distinguished university professor at Georgetown University with joint appointments at the School of Medicine and the McCourt School of Public Policy. He also became a public speaker, booked by Leading Authorities Inc.  The Daily Signal made phone and email inquiries to Georgetown University and Leading Authorities Inc., in an effort to reach Fauci.  The NIH responded that it is under new leadership now with Director Jay Bhattacharya and is investigating past matters. “The National Institutes of Health (NIH), under the leadership of Director Bhattacharya, fully supports and complies with the executive order addressing dangerous gain-of-function research, and we are currently investigating and reviewing the matters raised, many of which predate the current leadership at both NIH and the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID),” an NIH spokesperson told The Daily Signal in an email statement.    Chen is either the sender or recipient of the bulk of emails made available. The Daily Signal reached out to Chen’s current employer for comment. She did not respond as of publication time. The post EXCLUSIVE: Records Reveal What NIH Said About China When COVID-19 Emerged appeared first on The Daily Signal.

The California Wealth Tax Could Wind Up Costing the State Money

Thanks to one surgeon who dared to dream, we now know what happens when you implant teeth into chickens.

On Monday’s Morning Joe, Joe Scarborough predicted that the U.S. conflict with Iran would end in “disaster,” repeatedly warning that American intervention abroad “always leads to disaster” before concluding ominously: “This won’t end well either.” Scarborough was reacting to comments on Fox by Senator Lindsey Graham, who enthusiastically praised President Trump’s foreign policy and suggested the administration was reshaping the world order. Graham said that Trump was “resetting the world in a way nobody could have dreamed of a year ago,” even comparing him to “Ronald Reagan plus.” Scarborough Predicts Iran War “Disaster” pic.twitter.com/bJeltU5p0W — Mark Finkelstein (@markfinkelstein) March 9, 2026 Co-host Mika Brzezinski responded with a sarcastic aside. Noting Graham’s “Free Cuba” hat, she said she felt like there was another hat missing: a “FAFO” hat. The acronym stands for “F*** Around and Find Out.” Mika's implication was unmistakable: by confronting Iran, the United States is the one that will “find out.” Moments later, as the conversation turned more serious, Brzezinski interjected: “This isn’t a game.” Scarborough agreed with that premise, but used the moment to launch a sweeping critique of what he portrayed as reckless American foreign policy. “The thing is, Mika, this isn’t Ronald Reagan plus,” Scarborough said. “This is Wilsonian adventurism at its very worst.” According to Scarborough, attempts to confront hostile regimes or promote democracy abroad inevitably end badly. “That is a recipe for disaster. That is a recipe for American weakness,” he warned. Scarborough then broadened his argument, claiming that whenever the United States embraces muscular foreign policy, catastrophe follows. “This sort of drunk on power, this sort of drunk on militarism, always leads to disaster,” he insisted. To make his case, Scarborough invoked past conflicts. “Ask LBJ in 1965. Ask George W. Bush in 2003, 2004. Ask Barack Obama about Libya, how that ended up going,” Scarborough said. “It never ends well. This won’t end well either.” Scarborough also referred to America’s position after the collapse of the Soviet Union. “We were powerful,” he said, referring to the period after the Soviet Union collapsed. “Well, then we went into Afghanistan and Iraq.” Scarborough spoke of the Soviet collapse almost as if it were an accident—something that simply happened, leaving the United States temporarily dominant. Missing from that telling is Ronald Reagan’s massive military buildup, which placed enormous pressure on the Soviet system and helped accelerate its collapse. Reagan confronted the Soviet Union—the world’s only other superpower at the time—and famously challenged it with the words: “Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall.” Scarborough’s broader argument also rests on a familiar premise: because some previous wars turned out badly, future conflicts must inevitably do the same. Military historians often warn that generals are prone to “fighting the last war,” assuming future conflicts will resemble the ones that came before. Scarborough seemed to apply the same logic to American foreign policy. For Joe Scarborough, the outcome of America’s war with Iran seems settled: “disaster.” But is Scarborough predicting that disaster—or rooting for it? MS NOW Morning Joe 3/9/26 7:00 am EDT LINDSEY GRAHAM: I'm not looking a fair fight. If we get in a fight, I want to win it. I want to win it quick. I'm in Miami. You see this hat? Free Cuba. Stay tuned. The liberation of Cuba is upon us. It's just a matter of time now.  You see this hat? Make Iran Great. President Trump said the only way to make Iran great is for the people to take over.  We're marching through the world. We're cleaning out the bad guys. We're going to have relationships with new people that will make us prosperous and safe.  I've never seen anybody like it. This is Ronald Reagan plus. Donald Trump is resetting the world in a way nobody could have dreamed of a year ago.  He is the greatest Commander-in-Chief of all time. Our military is the best of all time. Iran is going down and Cuba is next.  MIKA BRZEZINSKI: I feel like there's a FAFO hat there, missing.  JOE SCARBOROUGH: The thing is, Mika, this isn't Ronald Reagan plus.  MIKA: This isn't a game.  SCARBOROUGH: This is Wilsonian adventurism at its very worst. Something that conservatives, real conservatives like me, have long feared and loathed. Sort of this Wilsonian idea, this George W. Bush idea in his second inauguration, that we're going to export democracy to all four corners of the globe.  Let me tell you something. That is a recipe for disaster. That is a recipe for American weakness. I have been saying for years now, because I got sick and tired of hearing people tear down the United States of America because a Democrat was in power or because a Republican was in power.  I've said for years, America is the most powerful country militarily, economically, culturally, when you look at soft power, technologically, in just about every measure.  Just like we were at the turn of the century, in 2000, with a collapsed Soviet Union. We were powerful. Well, then we went into Afghanistan and Iraq. A lot of people, you know, we understand Afghanistan, but then we had this sort of talk that you hear from Lindsey Graham about, you know, this military adventurism. We're on the march. We're going across the world.  No, no, that didn't work for George W. Bush. It's not going to work for this president. And this sort of American adventurism, this sort of jingoism, where you're saying, Let's invade Venezuela. Let's invade Cuba. Let's invade Iran. Let's march through the world and invade all the bad guys.  Time and time again, it has proven to be a trap. America is strong when America is restrained.  There are times we have to send our troops to war. I completely understand that. But this sort of drunk on power, this sort of drunk on militarism, always leads to disaster.  Ask LBJ in 1965. Ask George W. Bush in 2003, 2004. Ask Barack Obama about Libya, how that ended up going. It never ends well. This won't end well either. 

U.S. Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) is a vociferous opponent of the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility Act, sometimes referred to as the SAVE America Act, which would require individuals to provide proof of U.S. citizenship when registering to vote in federal elections.The unpopular senator has characterized the act — the passage of which President Donald Trump has made a condition of his ratification of other bills — as "Jim Crow 2.0," a "fringe piece of legislation," and as "extreme as it gets."'Americans see the hypocrisy.'Schumer was not, however, always opposed to measures protecting the benefits owed only to American citizens.Decades-old footage has once again gone viral online, showing Schumer previously making the case that valid U.S. identification ensures against rampant fraud by noncitizens.When discussing a proposed amendment to the Republican-sponsored Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act in March 1996, then-Rep. Chuck Schumer stated, "Let's admit the truth: Everywhere people go, they're asked for a Social Security card. In fact, one way to prove you’re a bona fide person who can have a job is to ask for a driver’s license and a Social Security card."“This is an anti-fraud amendment. All over, where we go, people say, 'Well, why can't you stop illegal immigrants or others from coming here?' And the number-one answer we give our constituents is, 'When they come here, they can get jobs, get benefits against the law because of fraud,'" said Schumer.RELATED: Illegal alien allegedly voted in 2024 federal election, when Trump and Kamala were on the ballot Photo by JOSEPH PREZIOSO/AFP via Getty ImagesIn the video — an excerpt of which the White House shared online last month — the Democrat also blasts opposition to the "anti-fraud measure."Responding to the remarks made by the Schumer of yesteryear, Sen. Ashley Moody (R-Fla.) wrote, "Americans see the hypocrisy. Pass the Save America Act.""The only thing that's changed here is Democrat messaging," wrote Rep. Ralph Norman (R-S.C.). "EVERY. SINGLE. PERSON recognizes that securing U.S. elections is commonsense."North Carolina Rep. Mark Harris (R) urged Schumer, "Listen to your past self.""I guess new Chuck Schumer changed his mind," wrote Sen. Mike Lee (R-Utah).On Sunday, Schumer recycled his "Jim Crow 2.0" talking point and claimed that the SAVE Act would "disenfranchise tens of millions of people.""If Trump is saying he won’t sign any bills until the SAVE Act is passed, then so be it: there will be total gridlock in the Senate," continued Schumer. "Senate Democrats will not help pass the SAVE Act under any circumstances."A Harvard CAPS/Harris poll from February revealed that a supermajority — 71% — of U.S. voters support the SAVE Act, including 50% of Democrats. When polled on the particulars of the legislation, 75% of U.S. voters said they supported proof of citizenship; 81% said they supported voter ID; and 80% said they supported states removing noncitizens from voter rolls.The poll also found that 85% of respondents, including a majority across all political parties, said that only American citizens should be able to vote.Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

The Department of War has identified a seventh U.S. service member killed in support of Operation Epic Fury in the Middle East. The Department of War announced in a press release on Monday morning that Sgt. Benjamin N. Pennington, 26, of Glendale, Ky., died of his wounds on March 8 from injuries sustained during an enemy attack on March 1 at Prince Sultan Air Base, Saudi Arabia.'He gave the ultimate sacrifice for the country he loved.'Pennington was "seriously injured" during the attack, according to the U.S. Army's press release. "The U.S. Army Space and Missile Defense Command is deeply saddened by the loss of Sgt. Pennington,” Lt. Gen. Sean Gainey, USASMDC commanding general, said. “He gave the ultimate sacrifice for the country he loved. That makes him nothing less than a hero, and he will always be remembered that way. We extend our heartfelt condolences to his family and friends."RELATED: 'Heart of America': Pentagon identifies 4 of the 6 US military members killed in Middle East Photo by U.S. Navy via Getty Images“Sgt. Pennington was a dedicated and experienced noncommissioned officer who led with strength, professionalism, and sense of duty,” Col. Michael Dyer, 1st Space Brigade commander, said. “Our deepest sympathies are with his family, friends, and fellow soldiers. We remain dedicated to providing comfort and support at this time and will forever honor his legacy and ultimate sacrifice for our nation.”Pennington was assigned to 1st Space Battalion, 1st Space Brigade, Fort Carson, Colorado.The Department of War said that the incident is currently under investigation. Pennington was promotable and will be posthumously promoted to staff sergeant, according to a USASMDC press release.Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!